Catfish Centre of Focus at Southern Food Event

US - The Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) and The Catfish Institute (TCI) recently partnered for the seventh annual Southern Foodways Symposium in Oxford, Mississippi from 30 October to 1 November 2009.

The Southern Foodways Alliance, which is headquartered at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, has featured US farm-raised catfish in several events throughout the year as part of its efforts to celebrate Southern food and its impact on the culture of the region.

TCI sponsored the Friday night activities at Taylor Grocery with a celebration of Southern food and music. R.J. Cooper and Duane Nutter, two nationally recognised chefs from Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, respectively, provided Catfish Parfait and Catfish Fritters, while Lynn Hewlett and his staff at Taylor Grocery provided their famous Southern-fried catfish with hushpuppies, french fries and coleslaw.

“We are proud to partner with the Southern Foodways Alliance,” said Roger Barlow, president of TCI. “The Symposium is a great place for people to come and learn about Southern food, and providing them Southern-fried catfish is a way to introduce them to US farm-raised catfish, a food that is at the heart of our culture.”

The three-day Symposium was attended by approximately 800 culinary writers, researchers, chefs and other food lovers from across the nation.